Long-time users of the Commvault CommCell Console whom have managed their environment off host would have been using the Java Web Start application. It was simple and easy. Just enter http://yourcommserve/console and open ‘galaxy.jnlp’. Unfortunately that galaxy is now far, far away. The ‘Java Web Start’ and ‘Java Plug-in’ have been deprecated since March 2019, and the continued use of Java SE requires an Oracle Subscription. So what is the best way to connect to the CommCell Console, without having to Remote Desktop into the CommServe each time?

Firstly, I cannot stress this enough – do not install the Commvault installation software to install the Commvault CommCell Console package onto your desktop. The risk here is that any patching of the CommServe also means the desktops must be patched at the exact same time which cannot be guaranteed, and using it this way can cause fatal errors including data loss.

The best way is to use the netx.jar bootstrap file. The simplest way to get the netx.jar is download it directly from the Commvault Cloud, and conveniently you don’t need to have a Maintenance Advantage login to download.

You can also elect to download the netx.jar file directly from your CommServe Web Server https://yourcommserve.company.local/console/netx.jar. If you are using Chromium based browser, you will likely be unable download the netx.jar file if your CommServe Web Server is using Self-Signed Certificates. If you have direct access to the CommServe, then you can copy the file located at “%CV_Instance001%\..\GUI\netx.jar” (e.g. C:\Program Files\Commvault\ContentStore\GUI\netx.jar”).

Now a number of times I’ve seen instances where people are using netx.jar to still be launching with Java 8 SE. At the time of writing it may seem like the Console works but you may run into Console Related Errors or expose yourself to the kind of risks mentioned earlier.

What you should be using is OpenJDK 11 instead. For almost two years Commvault CommCell Console has been compiled for Java 11. Currently OpenJDK 11.0.7 gets installed with the CommCell Console and is upgraded periodically with new Feature Releases of Commvault. OpenJDK 11 can be downloaded here thanks to the fantastic contributors to the AdoptOpenJDK community.

You can download the JDK as an MSI, but I prefer to download the zipped Binary instead because I would rather choose at runtime which Java Version I want to run. In this example the netx.jar and extracted zipped JRE are in my ‘downloads’ folder (don’t judge me) and created a shortcut on my desktop to.

 "%HOMEPATH%\Downloads\OpenJDK_11.0.7\bin\java" -jar "%HOMEPATH%\Downloads\netx.jar"

From here, just enter the CommServe Hostname and click OK.

Then wait for Java to run a few commands

and within a few seconds you are prompted to log into your CommCell Console.

Whilst not as simple and convenient as the old Java Web Start way, it is the safest way of running the console remotely without having to Remote Desktop into Commvault Servers.

Anthony is an Integration Specialist at Perfekt with specialisation in backup, virtualisation, storage, and server infrastructure. He has a strong working knowledge of database technologies, popular business applications, and networking. He has worked in Software Development and Control Systems Engineering previously, giving him unique insight into common backend processes and systems.